Be careful buying a hmc150 on ebay or craigslist. Please dont be a victim like me.

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minushmc150

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Please Be careful buying a hmc150 on ebay or craigslist.
 
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Aren't you protected as a buyer on ebay? You do a paypal chargeback, and the burden of proof is on him.

I'm sorry about your story, man.
 
minushmc150 said:
Yes, you are right ebay does somewhat protect you if you do it thru paypal but No i was a fool and sent him a bank check (not a money order). But our every conversation was done thru ebay messageing service and phone calls. He was very convincing as all people who are looking to take advantage of people on the net are. He even Used a quote "oh karma is a ***** and i would never do that to anyone cus it will come back and bite ya". And i figured with a check, the bank would have his id and thumb print and a photograph so i figured he wouldn't think of trying that. But he did, and he gave me so much infomation about himself that i though hey if he told me who he was, i figured it was a safe bet. But now its one of my biggest regrets, so i came on here to warn others so they dont fall into the same trap i did, and that even bank checks are not safe.

Thanks for your reply!
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I'm sorry to hear about your story but this was completely avoidable. Craigslist is ONLY good for local exchanges/purchases, and is the bottom of the barrel on may accounts. If you bought the camera through paypal or ebay you would have been covered. Mailing a check to a total stranger is always a risk for sure. I use paypal for every online transaction and have had several bad encounters that I am thrilled about the resolution through paypal.

I hope you can get your money back. Take him to small claims court. If he doesn't show up, they should rule in your favor.

One question though... Were you not able to cancel the check? The bank would reverse the funds, (usually a fee involved, but nowhere near the total amount).

Sorry to hear about your story man. Always horrible to hear of someone loosing big.
 
If he went to jail, then they know his name. Get his full name, take him to small claims court for the full amount. You can win whether he shows up or not, and they will add it to his docket if there is an active warrant for his arrest. Eventually he will get whats coming to him.

Resist the temptation to go Dirty Harry on the guy. If your story is true, talk to your attorney and get it moving in small claims court. This is major, not just a 'dont get suckered like me' situation. Go after the guy with every legal measure possible.
 
Sounds like a common internet scam. Rules to follow on Craigslist are:

1. Cash only - you can accept Paypal but these theives pray on it reliability of this service and can fake deposits by writing bad checks you'll be responsible for.

2. Local sales only. - no shipping to girlfriends address etc...

3. Will not ship. - once the gear is out of your hands you had better collected the money already. This is part of their scam.

On places like ebay, only work with buyers who follow your rules. If someone wants to buy it outside of the auction, you are not protected by ebay or paypal. Be careful and sorry for your loss.
 
kittykatro said:
Never, ever buy from ebay unless you don't care about losing some money!
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Are you serious? I'd say 70% of my gear purchases for the last 5 or 6 years have been from eBay. Check seller's feedback and use paypal and you should do fine.

I have been scammed one time - the seller had three years of 100% feedback and had a D90; after a week of no contact, he did the registered mail to "show" he'd shipped; it was just an empty envelope. By then his feedback was packed with negatives, all photo gear. Apparently he had bought or borrowed an existing account. I had a full refund within 30 days.

EBay's been a dynamite source for good used gear, hard to find stuff, and a great place to sell when I upgrade. Their feedback system and paypal guarantees makes it hard to get taken if you use a little caution. I've been doing some vintage-gear only projects and eBay's been priceless for finding some cool stuff. Just use common sense and remember that you're covered.
 
kittykatro said:
Never, ever buy from ebay unless you don't care about losing some money!
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I whole-heartedly disagree. I can't even begin to count how many crucial items I have purchased from there. MOTU 896, screen protectors, XLR cables, mic stands, cameras (video and still), tripods, so on and so on. Always pay by paypal, check seller feedback, read full description, know what you are buying!
 
The age old rule applies to eBay and Craigslist, just as it does in life. If you see something that's too good to be true, it probably is. Check completed listings for similar items and pricing and don't think you're getting a steal, because likely it's the other way around. ;)

Sorry about the hard lesson learned. I think we've all been a part of something at least similar, online or not.
 
Ebay is the most successful way to to buy and sell used equipment in the world. I have saved so much money that even if I get scammed a few times its worth it :knocks on wood:.

To spot a scammer, here are a few tips.
  • Check their feedback, use caution if there is very few or a lot of the same feedback - and obviously if there is more negative feedback than the occasional disgruntled customer. Good sellers with have hundreds or thousands of positive feedbacks left.
  • ALWAYS use paypal! Ebay insures the transaction and so does paypal. You may have to wait 30+ days for a refund but you will get your money back if its a scammer and you can prove your case.
  • Google their user name or business with the word 'scam' attached. Usually will pull up a ton of stuff if its an ongoing scam.
I also will still pay via paypal with craigslist purchases. Its less protected so you will want to read the fine print from paypal. When it comes to craigslist i always drive over, check out the product and pay cash if everything checks out. (request a signed receipt for large purchases.)
 
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